Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Programs

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has announced the open application period for the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Programs (IYLEP). The deadline to apply is December 1, 2015.

IYLEP 2016 will provide 240 Iraqi high school and undergraduate students with a unique educational exchange experience in the summer of 2016. The IYLEP undergraduate and high school programs together have provided invaluable leadership and educational opportunities for approximately 1800 students since its creation in 2007.

These programs work to support the goals of the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen the connections between the people of the United States and Iraq, and have created a cadre of young Iraqi leaders who are inspiring and impacting their communities.

The Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program forundergraduatestudents,sponsored by the United States Government and administered by Meridian International Center, provides four weeks of fully-funded leadership training and classroom instruction to talented and dedicated students from Iraq.

Participants, hosted at four universities throughout the United States, will focus on one of four thematic “institutes”: Public Policy; Entrepreneurship and Community Development; Information Technology and Media; and Leadership, Law, and Social Justice.

Each institute will consist of classroom instruction, field trips, site visits, community service, leadership training, conflict resolution training, and cultural exchanges.

Interested applicants can e-mail this address with questions about the online application process: [email protected].

The Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for high school students, sponsored by the United States Government and administered by World Learning, is a four-week youth leadership exchange based in the United States for Iraqi and American teenagers ages 15-17 and Iraqi adult mentors.

The program aims to develop a cadre of young adults in Iraq and the United States who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to community development, an awareness of current and global issues, strong interpersonal leadership skills, and a willingness to foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups in Iraq.

Interested applicants can e-mail this address with questions about the online application process: [email protected].

There is no cost to apply to IYLEP. The U.S. Department of State will fully fund students’ academic study, travel, health insurance, housing, and provide a modest living allowance while in the United States.